CLRC Writing Center

A SHORT DICTIONARY OF PHRASAL VERBS: Verbs paired with a preposition or adverb

Separable: you may insert a noun or pronoun between these verbs and their prepositions/adverbs. Correct: Sam passed on the news to Jay. Correct: Sam passed the news on to Jay.
add up - add back up - cause to move backwards; support; blow up; cause to explode; destroy by explosives break down - analyze; list the parts of separately break into - go into a house or room forcibly; suddenly; begin; bring about - cause to happen bring off - accomplish bring on - cause bring out - publish; emphasize bring over - bring bring to - revive bring up - raise; care for from childhood brush out - brush the inside of burn down - destroy by burning burn up - consume by fire buy out - by the other person's share of a business buy up - buy the whole supply of call off - cancel; order away call up - telephone; summon for military service calm down - become calm carry on - continue carry out - fulfill; complete; accomplish; perform carry over - carry; continue at another time or place cheer up - cause to become cheerful chew up - chew thoroughly chop up - chop into small pieces clean off - clean the surface of clean out - clean the inside of clean up - clarify; tidy clear out - clear the surface of clear up - clear the inside of close down - close permanently close up - close temporarily count in - include count out - exclude count up - calculate; count; add to a total cross out - eliminate cut off - interrupt; sever; amputate cut out - eliminate; delete cut down - reduce in quantity draw up - write; compose (a document) dress up - put clothes on; adorn dust out - dust the inside of eat up - eat completely figure out - interpret; understand figure up - compute fill in - complete (a printed form) fill out - complete (a printed form) fill up - fill completely (a container) find out - discover fix up - repair; arrange in a suitable manner get across - cause to be understood give back - return give out - distribute; announce give up - surrender something hand down - deliver; pronounce formally; leave as an inheritance hand over - yield control of hang up - suspend have on - be dressed in have over - entertain someone informally at one's home hold off - delay; restrain hold up - delay; rob; threaten with a weapon keep up - continue; keep the same pace leave out - omit let down - disappoint let out - release from confinement; make larger (in sewing) light up - light; illuminate thoroughly live down - live in such a way as to cause something to be forgotten make over - remake move over - move to the side pass out - distribute pass up - not take advantage of (as an opportunity) pass on - transmit pay back - repay pay off - discharge a debt completely; give someone his final pay pick up - come to meet an escort; lift with hands or fingers; learn casually; initiate an association publicly play down - minimize play up - emphasize point out - indicate

pull down - pull in a downward direction; raze push across - cause to be understood or accepted put off - postpone put on - dress in; deceive or fool put up - preserve (food); receive as an overnight guest quiet down - be quiet ring up - the telephone rinse off - rinse the surface of rinse out - rinse the inside of rule out - eliminate run down - trace; disparage; hit with a vehicle run off - cause to depart; reproduce mechanically save up - accumulate see through - complete; in spite of difficulties see off - accompany someone to the beginning of a trip send back - send to a place where formerly located send over - send to where someone is set up - arrange show off - exhibit ostentatiously shut off - cause to cease functioning slow up - cause to move more slowly spell out - enumerate; state in detail stand up - fail to keep an appointment with sweep out - sweep the inside of take back - return; retract a statement take down - remove from a high position; write from dictation take in - understood; fool; deceive; make smaller (in sewing) take over - take; assume command of tear down - destroy tear up - tear into small pieces tell off - scold; reprimand think over - consider think through - consider from beginning to end think up - create; invent throw away - discard throw over - reject tie up - tie securely or tight tire out - cause to be exhausted touch up - repair try on - put on a garment to verify the fit try out - test turn down - refuse; lower the volume turn out - produce; force into exile, extinguish (a light) wash off - wash the surface of wash out - wash the inside of wear out - use until no longer usable; tire greatly wind up - finish, tighten the spring of a watch or machine wipe off - wipe the surface of wipe out - wipe the inside of; decimate work out - solve write down - record

write out - write down every detail; spell out write up - compose; prepare (a document)

Inseparable: you cannot separate these verbs from their prepositions/adverbs with any words. Correct: Becky is reliable; you can count on her. Incorrect: You can count her on.
back out of - desert; fail to keep a promise bear down on - lean on; browbeat bear on - have to do with bear up under - endure break in on - interrupt break into - interrupt call for - come to get; require care for - like; guard; supervise; maintain carry on with - continue catch up with - cover the distance between oneself and check up on - examine; verify come across - find accidentally come along with - accompany; make progress come by - find accidentally come down with - become ill with come out with - utter; produce come up with - utter; produce count on - rely on cut in on - interrupt disagree with - cause illness or discomfort to do away with - abolish do without - deprive oneself of drop in at/on - visit casually without planning drop out of - leave; quit face up to - acknowledge fall behind in - lag; not progress at required pace fall back on - use for emergency purpose fall out with - quarrel with fill in for - substitute for get ahead of - surpass; beat get around - evade; avoid get away with - do without being caught or punished get by with - manage with a minimum of effort get down to - become serious about; consider get in - enter (a vehicle) get off - descend from; leave get on - enter (a vehicle); mount get on with - proceed with get through with - terminate, finish go back on - desert; fail to keep (a promise) go for - like a great deal go in for - be interested in; participate in go on with - continue go over - review

A version of this list can be found at Purdue Universitys OWL: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/esl/eslphrasal.html.

go with - harmonize with; look pleasing together go without - abstain from hang around - remain idly in the vicinity of hear from - receive a communication from hear of - learn about (sometimes accidentally) hit on - discover accidentally hold on to - grasp tightly hold out against - resist keep at - persevere at keep to - persist in; continue keep up with - maintain the pace of lie down on - evade; fail to do live on - support or sustain oneself by means of live up to - maintain the standard demanded of look after - take care of look back on - remember nostalgically look down on - feel superior to look forward to - anticipate look up to - respect; admire make up for - compensate for pass on - transmit pick on - tease; bully play up to - flatter for personal advantage put up with - tolerate read up on - search out information on run against - compete against in an election run away with - leave; escape from run for - campaign for see about - consider; arrange see to - arrange; supervise settle on - decide on; choose stand for - represent; permit stand up for - support; demand stand up to - resist stick to - persist stick up for - support; defend take after - resemble talk back to - answer impolitely talk over - discuss tell on - report misbehavior to authority touch on - mention briefly turn into - become wait on - serve wait up for - not go to bed while waiting for watch out for - be careful for

Intransitive: these phrasal verbs cannot take a direct object. They may be separated by a noun or pronoun. Correct: We are having dinner. Come over. Incorrect: Come over dinner. Correct: Come over for dinner. (for makes dinner an indirect object)
back down - retreat from a position in an argument back out - desert; fail to keep a promise back up - move backwards bear up - endure blow in - drop in to visit unexpectedly blow over - pass without doing harm blow up - explode; lose one's temper call up - telephone calm down - become calm carry on - continue as before; misbehave catch on - understand catch up - cover the distance between oneself and a moving goal check up - investigate check out - leave; pay one's bill cheer up - become cheerful clear out - leave clear up - become clear close down - close permanently close up - close temporarily came about - happen come along - accompany; make progress come back - return come by - visit someone come out - appear; make a social debut come over - come to someone's house, to where someone is come through - succeed come to - regain consciousness cut in - interrupt die away - fade; diminish die down - fade; diminish die off/out - disappear; become extinct dress up - don fancy or unusual clothes drive back - return by car drop in - visit someone casually without planning drop out - abandon some organized activity; leave; quit drop over - visit someone casually fall behind - not progress at required pace fall off - decrease; lose weight fall through - fail; not be accomplished fill in - substitute find out - learn fly back - return by air fly over - fly to where someone is

A version of this list can be found at Purdue Universitys OWL: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/esl/eslphrasal.html.

get ahead - make progress get along - have a friendly relationship get around - circulate; move about get away - escape get by - manage; either just barely or with a minimum of effort get in - enter get off - descend from leave get on - enter (a vehicle); mount (a horse, etc.) get on/along - progress; be compatible get up - rise get through - finish give out - become exhausted give up - surrender; fail to finish go back - return go off - explode go on - happen; continue go out - stop burning; leave one's residence go over - go; succeed grow up - mature hang around - remain idly; dawdle hang up - replace a telephone receive on its hook hold on - grasp tightly; persevere; wait while telephoning hold out - continue to resist; persevere; persist keep on - continue keep up - maintain the required pace or standard; continue let up - diminish in intensity lie down - recline look on - be a spectator make out - progress; succeed make up - become reconciled move over - move to the side pan out - turn out well; be successful pass out - become unconscious pass on - die pick up - grow; increase pull in - arrive pull out - deport pull through - survive (barely) ride over - ride to where someone is run away - escape; leave; leave quickly without permission run down - slowly lose power so as to stop functioning run off - depart running; drain sell out - sell the ownership or responsibility settle up - pay one's bills or debts show off - boast by words or actions show up - arrive; appear unexpectedly shut up - stop talking slow up - reduce speed stand by - wait; be prepared to assist stand up - stand; rise from sitting; last; endure

stay over - remain at someone's house overnight or longer step aside - move to one side take off - leave the ground take over - assume command talk back - answer impolitely throw up - vomit turn around - turn so that one is facing another direction turn in - go to bed turn out - succeed; come; appear, as at a public meeting turn up - arrive; be found unexpectedly wait up - remain awake in anticipation wake up - awaken walk back - return on foot to where one was walk over - walk to where someone is wash out - fade or disappear from washing watch out - be careful wear off - fade; disappear through use or time wear out - become unusable through use; become used up work out - be successful

A version of this list can be found at Purdue Universitys OWL: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/esl/eslphrasal.html.